Fortification: How Food Companies Fool You

Does fortifying sugary drinks, cookies, chips, or candy with extra vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants make them healthier? Hardly…but it does make consumers THINK they’re healthier. That’s what food companies are betting on when they splash things like “Great Source of Vitamin C!” and “Rich in Antioxidants” across the front of packaged snacks and cereal boxes, according to health experts, including food policy guru Marion Nestle. I, too, consider these tactics to be sneaky marketing tricks, designed to confuse and mislead consumers who are doing their best to make good choices at the grocery store.

But for the most part, food manufacturers continue to add extras like vitamins, minerals, and fiber to sweets and treats without penalty. And in my opinion, it’s simply an effort to boost sales…and a strategy that takes advantage of consumers looking to be more health-conscious. Food manufacturers often add the minimum amount necessary to make a claim — 10% of the recommended daily value is required for a food to be labeled a “good source” of a nutrient. As far as I’m concerned, these token nutrients don’t compensate for the ills of unhealthy ingredients like sugar, fat, and refined starch.

Reading Between the Lines on Food Packages

Presumably, the FDA will use the results of the new study to decide whether it needs to take a firmer stance against junk food fortification. Let’s hope it does. In the meantime, it’s up to us consumers to be smart shoppers and avoid being swayed by misleading nutrient claims.

During a recent trip to the grocery store, I spotted countless products in the cereal, snack, and beverage aisles boasting claims about added vitamins and minerals. While none of the products below have been cited by the FDA, they’re certainly not healthy foods in my book. They are also an important reminder that you should always check the Nutrition Facts Panel and ingredients list to really understand what you’re buying.

First up: these double-stuffed sandwich cookies, which claim they are “Filled With Good Stuff,” are basically fortified Oreos. The company adds a dose of calcium and some fiber (in the form of “polydextrose” and “soluble corn fiber”), but that doesn’t change the fact that they are still a dessert.

Check out the label: one serving (2 cookies) contains a full tablespoon of sugar; in fact, it’s the first ingredient listed on the label. The 4 grams of whole grain they contain (from whole wheat flour) counts as a quarter of a serving of whole grains.

Marshmallow treats for health?! The package boldly states that these gooey marshmallow rice squares are a “Good Source of Vitamin D” (because the company adds 10% of the Daily Value):

But check the Nutrition Facts Panel and you’ll also see that they’re made with refined white rice, several types of sugar, partially hydrogenated oils (a source of harmful trans fats), and a rainbow of artificial food dyes.

And in the beverage aisle, I spotted this popular kids’ drink. The front of the box screams “100% Daily Value Vitamin C” in bright yellow lettering, but that vitamin C is 100% added since the drink contains no real fruit.

Turn the carton around and you’ll see the disclaimer “Contains 0% Juice.” The worst part: each drink pouch contains nearly 5 teaspoons of sugar (19 grams) from high fructose corn syrup.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Johannah Sakimura

Johannah Sakimura first joined the Everyday Health team as a health editor covering diabetes news. Prior to working at Everyday Health, Johannah served as Editorial Director of Health and Nutrition at Joy Bauer...read more